The Visor

Tennis team relies on seniors and more fan support

March 29, 2010

Ryland Parnell

Your opponent ominously lurks 70 feet away. Your hands are sweating and fiddling with the synthetic felt between your fingers as the ball darts towards you at 110 mph. That’s right, tennis season is here and the squad is not settling for anything but first.

This year the team’s success will be carried on the shoulders of seniors Paul Kramer, Evan Shaub, Alec Hyde and Alec Droba.

“We have excellent seniors that are doing a great job so far,” head coach Bernard Pietrangelo said.

Pietrangelo is in his sixteenth year as tennis coach for the Knights.

“We really have to come together and build team unity that will make us a great team,” Kramer said.

The Knights have a daunting schedule this year featuring local powerhouses such as North Canton Hoover, Walsh Jesuit and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

“We have a tough schedule but I think we will be able to do well,” Pietrangelo said. “We have some good players on our team.”
“Our goal this year is simple— states. We want to be the best,” Kramer said.

The tennis team lacks fan support at their meets with almost zero support from the student body and gets most of its support from parents and loved ones, not uncommon in the world of high school tennis.

“We really wish our fans were better,” Kramer said. “I think we would do even better if we had some strong fan support.”

“We would like to see some more fans at our meets, the parents do a great job every meet,” Pietrangelo said.

The Knights have recently added Brother James Kozak as member of the coaching staff for the JV team. Kozak, the freshman football team’s team manager this past fall, teaches religious studies.

“It’s been great having Brother around,” Pietrangelo said. “He always has a very positive attitude when he comes to practice.”

The boy’s tennis team will open up its regular season with arch rival St. Vincent-St. Mary’s on March 29.

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